Never believe me.

Both are my kinsmen ;The one's my sovereign, whom both my oath And duty bids defend; the other again,

Is my kinsman, whom the king hath wrong'd'; Whom conscience and my kindred bids to right. Well, somewhat we must do.-Come, cousin, I'll Dispose of you :-Gentlemen, go', muster up your

And meet me presently at Berkley-castle *.
I should to Plashy too;--

But time will not permit :-All is uneven.
And every thing is left at six and seven.

Exeunt YORK and Queen. BUSHY. The wind sits fair for news to go to Ireland +,

But none returns.

For us to levy power, Proportionable to the enemy,

Is all impossible.

GREEN. Besides, our nearness to the king in love, Is near the hate of those love not the king.

BAGOT. And that's the wavering commons: for
their love

Lies in their purses; and whoso empties them,
By so much fills their hearts with deadly hate.
BUSHY. Wherein the king stands generally con-
demn'd.

BAGOT. If judgment lie in them, then so do we, Because we ever have been near the king.

GREEN. Well, I'll for refuge straight to Bristol castle;

The earl of Wiltshire is already there.

*So folio; quartos omit castle. + Quartos, for Ireland.

5 Is my kinsman, whom the king hath wrong'd;] Sir T. Hanmer has completed this defective line, by reading:

6

"My kinsman is, one whom the king hath wrong'd.”

STEEVENS. Gentlemen, go muster up your men.] The word gentlemen, which is found both in the quarto 1597, and the folio, is omitted by Mr. Steevens without any notice to the reader. MALONE.

BUSHY. Thither will I with you: for little office Will the hateful commons perform for us; Except like curs to tear us all to pieces.Will you go along with us?

BAGOT. NO; I'll to Ireland to his majesty. Farewell if heart's presages be not vain,

We three here part, that ne'er shall meet again. BUSHY. That's as York thrives to beat back Bo

lingbroke.

GREEN. Alas, poor duke! the task he under

takes

Is-numb'ring sands, and drinking oceans dry; Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly. BUSHY. Farewell at once; for once, for all, and

Enter BOLINGBROKE and NORTHUMBERLAND, with Forces.

BOLING. How far is it, my lord, to Berkley now?

NORTH. Believe me, noble lord,

I am a stranger here in Glostershire.

These high wild hills, and rough uneven ways,
Draw out our miles, and make them wearisome :
And yet your fair discourse hath been as sugar,
Making the hard way sweet and délectable.
But, I bethink me, what a weary way

7 Will the hateful commons-] So all the old copies. Mr. Steevens reads, without notice, The hateful commons will.”

66

BOSWELL.

From Ravenspurg to Cotswold, will be found
In Ross and Willoughby, wanting your company;
Which, I protest, hath very much beguil'd
The tediousness and process of my travel:
But theirs is sweeten'd with the hope to have
The present benefit which I possess:
And hope to joy', is little less in joy,

Than hope enjoy'd: by this the weary lords
Shall make their way seem short: as mine hath
done

By sight of what I have, your noble company.
BOLING. Of much less value is my company,
Than your good words. But who comes here?

Enter HARRY PERCY.

NORTH. It is my son, young Harry Percy, Sent from my brother Worcester, whencesoever.Harry, how fares your uncle?

PERCY. I had thought, my lord, to have learn'd his health of you.

NORTH. Why, is he not with the queen?

PERCY. No, my good lord; he hath forsook the

court,

Broken his staff of office, and dispers'd

The household of the king.

6

NORTH.

wanting your company;

What was his reason?

Which, I protest, hath very much beguil'd

The tediousness and process of my travel:] So, in King Lear, 1605:

"Thy pleasant company will make the way seem short."

MALONE.

7 And hope to JOY,] To joy is, I believe, here used as a verb. So, in the second Act of King Henry IV. Part I.: "Poor fellow never joy'd since the price of oats rose." Again, in K. Henry VI. Part II. Act IV. Sc. IX. :

"Was ever king that joy'd on earthly throne-." The word is again used with the same signification in the play before us.

6

MALONE.

He was not so resolv'd, when last we spake toge

ther 8.

PERCY. Because your lordship was proclaimed traitor.

But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurg,
To offer service to the duke of Hereford;
And sent me o'er by Berkley, to discover
What power the duke of York had levied t here;
Then with direction to repair to Ravenspurg.

NORTH. Have you forgot the duke of Hereford, boy?

PERCY. No, my good lord; for that is not forgot, Which ne'er I did remember: to my knowledge, I never in my life did look on him.

NORTH. Then learn to know him now; this is the duke.

PERCY. My gracious lord, I tender you my service,

Such as it is, being tender, raw, and young;
Which elder days shall ripen, and confirm
To more approved service and desert.

BOLING. I thank thee, gentle Percy; and be sure,
I count myself in nothing else so happy,
As in a soul rememb'ring my good friends;
And, as my fortune ripens with thy love,
It shall be still thy true love's recompense:
My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals
it.

NORTH. How far is it to Berkley? And what stir Keeps good old York there, with his men of war? PERCY. There stands the castle, by yon tuft of

trees,

Mann'd with three hundred men, as I have heard: And in it are the lords of York, Berkley, and Sey

mour;

He was not so resolv'd, when last we spake TOGETHER.] i. e. conversed together is an interpolation sufficiently evident from the redundancy of the metre. STEEVENS.

:

None else of name, and noble estimate *.

Enter Ross and WILLOUGHBY.

NORTH. Here come the lords of Ross and Willoughby,

Bloody with spurring, firy-red with haste.

BOLING, Welcome, my lords: I wot, your love pursues

A banish'd traitor; all my treasury

Is yet but unfelt thanks, which, more enrich'd,
Shall be your love and labour's recompense.

Ross. Your presence makes us rich, most noble

lord.

WILLO. And far surmounts our labour to attain it. BOLING. Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the

poor;

Which, till my infant fortune comes to years,
Stands for my bounty. But who comes here?

Enter BERKLEY.

NORTH. It is my lord of Berkley, as I guess. BERK. My lord of Hereford, my message is to

you9.

BOLING. My lord, my answer is-to Lancaster '; And I am come to seek that name in England: And I must find that title in your tongue, Before I make reply to aught you say.

BERK. Mistake me not, my lord; 'tis not my meaning,

* So quartos 1597, 1598, and folio: quartos 1608 and 1615, estimation.

9 My lord of Hereford, my message is To You.] I suspect that our author designed this for a speech rendered abrupt by the impatience of Bolingbroke's reply; and therefore wrote:

1

"My lord of Hereford, my message is———”

The words to you, only serve to destroy the metre. STEEVENS. my answer is to Lancaster;] Your message, you say, is to my lord of Hereford. My answer is, It is not to him; it is to the Duke of Lancaster. MALONE.